PESKAS Tracks Explorer

A web application for viewing and analyzing vessel tracking data.

Version 2.8.0 - Latest Updates

New Features

• Waypoints on the Map: Save and manage private waypoints for important fishing locations
  • Add waypoints using GPS, map click, or manual coordinates
  • Categorize by type: Port, Anchorage, Fishing Ground, Favorite Spot, or Other
  • Color-coded pins with tooltips showing waypoint details
  • Toggle visibility for each waypoint individually or all at once
  • "Show on Map" button to center the map on any saved waypoint
  • Completely private - only you can see your waypoints
• Waypoint API + Hook: New /api/waypoints CRUD endpoints with per-user access checks, type validation, and demo-mode safeguards, plus a useWaypoints client hook

Improvements

• API Hardening: Shared CORS, rate limiting, validation, and error-handling utilities applied to waypoint routes; Mongo index creation script added
• Observability & Build Tooling: Frontend Sentry initialization with release tagging and optional replay sampling, Vite Sentry plugin for source map upload
• Map & Layout Polish: New waypoint controls in map UI, mobile-friendly tooltips, and layout scroll fixes

Features

• View vessel tracks on an interactive map
• Filter trips by date and vessel
• Analyze vessel speed with color-coded tracks
• Save private waypoints for ports, fishing grounds, and favorite spots
• Report catches with photos and GPS data
• View performance statistics and compare with community
• User registration and profile management
• Support for both PDS (tracking device) and non-PDS users
• Device GPS location support
• Bathymetry layer showing ocean depth contours
• MongoDB-based authentication system using IMEI, boat name, or username
• Multi-language support (English, Portuguese, Swahili)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16+)
• npm

Installation

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Make sure you have a valid .env file with the required environment variables:

   VITE_MAPBOX_TOKEN=your_mapbox_token
   VITE_MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   SERVER_PORT=3001
   

Running the Application

Development Mode

To run both the frontend and backend servers simultaneously:

npm run dev:all

This will:

• Start the frontend Vite server (usually on port 5173)
• Start the backend Express server (on port 3001)
• Show output from both servers in a single terminal with color coding

Running Separately

If you prefer to run the servers separately:

1. Start the backend:

   npm run dev:server

2. Start the frontend (in a separate terminal):

   npm run dev

Authentication

The application authenticates users against a MongoDB database. You can log in using:

• Vessel IMEI: The 15-digit IMEI number of a registered vessel
• Password: The corresponding password in the MongoDB database

Deployment

Vercel Deployment

This application is configured for easy deployment to Vercel. For detailed instructions, see VERCEL_DEPLOYMENT.md.

Quick steps:

1. Push your code to a Git repository
2. Import the project in Vercel Dashboard
3. Set the environment variables (VITE_MONGODB_URI and VITE_MAPBOX_TOKEN)
4. Deploy

The application uses:

• Vercel Serverless Functions for the backend API
• Vite build for the frontend
• Environment variables for configuration

Documentation

• Server Setup Guide - Details about the backend API server
• Vercel Deployment Guide - Instructions for deploying to Vercel
• Production Readiness Report - Comprehensive production readiness audit

Version History

Version 2.7.0 (December 2024)

• User registration and profile management system
• Non-PDS user support with GPS device location
• Enhanced map visibility (always visible, even without trips)
• Flexible authentication (IMEI, boat name, or username)
• User catch events API endpoints
• Improved map UI with cleaner controls
• Enhanced localization (English, Portuguese, Swahili)

Previous Versions

See git commit history for earlier versions.